Provence Odyssey | My Journey in Paintings: From Avignon to Arles (avec le petit dejeuner)

by delacybrown on July 10, 2013

After three days in the Provence heartland, surrounded by verdant rolling landscapes of cypresses and pine trees, olives and lavender, and with one hotel view watercolour already under my belt, I moved onto Arles considerably inspired, artistic images floating through my head with each new adventure taken across this artist’s paradise. After two days in the midst of the medieval magic of Avignon, our journey south to Arles provided a refreshing glimpse of the rich pastoral landscape which surrounds Provence’s cities, but also of the little farmhouses which are dotted across the scenery, with their iconic terracotta tiled roofs and pastel-painted walls, their pale blue shutters and window-sill plant pots.

And so, shortly after arriving in Arles and in a moment of rest, so many of these images collected together with such strength that in mere minutes, I had opened up my travel sketch book and mapped out this image, depicting our journey from Avignon to Arles, and accompanied by the hearty breakfast which had so satisfyingly kicked off our day. Over the next few days, I filled in my sketch with vivid colour reflective of the seductive rainbow palette which the Mediterranean light so augments in Provence, using my new favourite medium, gauche, to do so.

Voyage to Arles from Avignon (avec le petit dejeuner) 2013 © Nicholas de Lacy-Brown – gauche on paper

The result is Voyage to Arles from Avignon (avec le petit dejeuner) – an artistic testament to this next leg in our journey. I hope you enjoy it.

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